Tesla Plays Stupid Games, Wins Stupid Prizes

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Happy Tuesday! It's August 26, 2025, and this is The Morning Shift — your regular roundup of nan apical automotive headlines from astir nan world, successful 1 place. This is wherever you'll find nan astir important stories that are shaping nan measurement Americans thrust and get around.

In this morning's edition, we're looking astatine really overmuch Tesla spent to not settee a tribunal case, arsenic good arsenic Stellantis' seemingly shuttered self-driving plans. We'll besides look astatine Hyundai's latest information of finance successful nan U.S., and nan latest suit from California dealers against nonstop sales. 

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Back successful 2019, a Model S moving Autopilot deed a Chevy Tahoe, sidesplitting 1 caretaker and injuring another. Tesla had an connection to settee nan resulting suit for $60 cardinal dollars, but turned nan woody down. The last measure for nan suit that Tesla fought to nan end? $242.6 million. From Reuters:

Billionaire Elon Musk's electrical conveyance institution Tesla rejected a $60 cardinal colony connection successful a suit complete nan 2019 fatal clang of an Autopilot-equipped Model S earlier a assemblage this period awarded a $243 cardinal verdict successful nan case.

Lawyers for nan plaintiffs disclosed nan colony connection successful a filing on Monday successful nan national tribunal successful Miami, Florida, arsenic portion of a petition for ineligible fees from Tesla.

...

The proceedings focused connected an April 2019 clang involving a 2019 Model S featuring Autopilot driver-assistance software. The driver's Tesla struck nan victims' parked Chevrolet Tahoe arsenic they were opinionated beside it connected a shoulder.

Jurors awarded nan property of Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed, and her fellow Dillon Angulo, who was earnestly injured, a mixed $129 cardinal successful compensatory damages, positive $200 cardinal successful punitive damages. Tesla was held liable for 33% of nan compensatory damages, aliases $42.6 million, and each of nan punitive damages.

Of course, $60 cardinal is already an unfathomable magnitude of money. When compared pinch nan consequence of nan suit, though, Tesla could've saved a batch of rate by paying nan $60 cardinal erstwhile it had nan chance. 

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Earlier this year, Stellantis unveiled its AutoDrive semi-autonomous driver assistance system. Now, conscionable six months later, nan task still hasn't made its measurement to a user conveyance — and Stellantis now says it whitethorn ne'er happen. From Reuters:

Stellantis has shelved its first Level 3 precocious driver-assistance programme because of precocious costs, technological challenges and concerns astir user appetite, 3 group acquainted pinch nan matter told Reuters.

As precocious arsenic February, Stellantis said its in-house system, which is portion of nan AutoDrive program, was fresh for deployment and a cardinal pillar of its strategy. The institution said nan system, which enables drivers to person their hands disconnected nan instrumentality and eyes disconnected nan roadworthy nether definite conditions, would let them to temporarily watch movies, drawback up connected emails, aliases publication books.

That Level 3 package was ne'er launched, nan institution confirmed to Reuters. But it stopped short of saying that nan programme was canceled.

"What was unveiled successful February 2025 was L3 exertion for which location is presently constricted marketplace demand, truthful this has not been launched, but nan exertion is disposable and fresh to beryllium deployed," a Stellantis spokesperson said.

There surely seems to beryllium marketplace request for semi-autonomous systems — each automaker seems to beryllium racing to adhd them — but possibly Stellantis is waiting connected nan suit request to barren up. Especially pinch nan sanction AutoDrive sounding truthful akin to Tesla's Autopilot, which is now often seen arsenic misleading, Stellantis whitethorn beryllium playing it safe connected a ineligible front. 

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In nan aftermath of Trump's tariffs, companies are divided arsenic to really to respond. While immoderate nations person stopped moreover sending commercialized message to nan United States, automakers person mostly recovered a different tactic: Big, flashy investments successful American manufacturing. Take Hyundai, which conscionable announced different $5 cardinal to walk connected nan States. From Automotive News:

Hyundai Motor Group is adding $5 cardinal of investments to its U.S. operations to "substantially" summation its accumulation capacity for Hyundai, Genesis and Kia cars, while besides creating a robot manufacturing hub.

The caller U.S. commitment, announced Aug. 26, comes connected apical of immoderate $21 cardinal announced successful March, bringing nan South Korean carmaker's full to $26 cardinal from 2025 to 2028, arsenic it prioritizes localization amid waste and acquisition upheaval.

The further $5 cardinal will money "expanding car production, substantially," spokesperson Dain Kang said. He declined to supply further specifications astir nan automotive build out.

It remains to beryllium seen whether American manufacturing really ends up being cheaper than nan import tariffs, fixed that companies will still salary to import parts and earthy materials, but it seems Hyundai is consenting to stake large connected North America successful its early endeavors. Maybe this intends we'll spot much Genesis cars connected nan streets. Give america much fantastic wheels and weird headlights. 

Afeela

California car dealers dislike nonstop sales, because nonstop income make their questionable business practices nary longer a basal evil. Rather than modernizing, aliases evolving beyond nan scum, they've alternatively decided to equine monolithic ineligible attacks against immoderate shaper that doesn't partake successful their services. This is simply a bully and normal business practice, and successful nary measurement immoderate benignant of protection racket. Anyway, they're coming for Afeela now, claiming nan cars should beryllium sold successful Honda dealers. From Automotive News:

The California New Car Dealers Association revenge a suit against American Honda Motor Co., Sony Honda Mobility Inc. and Sony Honda Mobility of America Inc., accusing nan companies of violating authorities franchise laws.

The complaint, revenge Aug. 19 successful in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that nan companies are bypassing Honda and Acura dealerships to waste its Afeela electrical conveyance straight to consumers.

"This is simply a nonstop onslaught connected nan 161 franchised Honda and Acura dealers successful California that person been loyal partners successful building nan brand's estimation and occurrence for decades," relation president Brian Maas said successful a statement.

"By cutting dealers out, they're stripping captious user protections for illustration section work support, transparent pricing and warranty assistance," Maas said.

The Afeela is only half a Honda anyway, but nan existent halfway of nan rumor is that nan trader exemplary is dated. Can you sanction a trader that's really known for its transparent pricing? Be serious. 

Y'know who didn't play successful nan first-ever televised awesome convention shot game? The Yankees. I remainder my case. 

I have nary thought why I'm successful an LCD Soundsystem temper this morning, but I very overmuch am. It was a struggle to prime betwixt this and "Dancy Yrself Clean" for On nan Radio.